It’s been 10 years since the release ofDragon Age: Inquisition, andDragon Age: Dreadwolfstill has no release date. The last DLC forDragon Age: Inquisition,Dragon Age: Inquisition: Trespasser, was released in 2015. While an entire decade to pass while a sequel to a game is in development is not unheard of,Dragon Age: Inquisitionended on a cliffhanger that hinted at a story resolution in the upcoming game that has yet to be released. Furthermore, there has been very little information released regardingDragon Age: Dreadwolfin the 10 years sinceDragon Age: Inquisition’s launch.
IfBioWare is aiming to become a more agile studio, as its State of BioWare Update from August 2023 claims, it needs to have more than oneDragon Agegame in development to anticipate and circumvent the development issues that have plaguedDragon Age: Dreadwolf. Nine years after announcing a game with no concrete information is too long, and releasing a game in the interim that has nothing to do with the main story, but is still a part of the world and adds to the lore, would be a solution to problems that arise in the real world.
Dragon Age Needs Smaller Games as Spin-Offs
AsDragon Ageis one of BioWare’s two IPs, it’s likelyDragon Age: Dreadwolfwill have a sequel, even if it concludes the current story arc. If so, BioWare needs to have another standalone game in development at the same time as release before the sequel game does, so that there isn’t another 10-year or longer gap between releases, to predict and account for problems that arise in development.
Whilecomics, TTRPGs, books, and TV shows are fun diversions, they don’t meet the same standards as a video game and, for a series that has been established as a video game series, requiring players to purchase additional content beyond the games to understand the story is an unpopular move with some players.
A solution to this would be to create aDragon Agespin-off game that doesn’t affect the story of the main series, much likeMass Effect: Andromeda’s. While the titleDragon Ageimplies events that occur within theDragon Age, and it would be difficult to set events in the future because of the status of the Veil and the elven gods, events that occurred in the past, such as the First Blight, are unexplored moments in Thedas' history and would still be interesting as a standalone game.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s Delayed Development
TheDragon Agedevelopment team at BioWare hasn’t been idlefor 10 years, but leaving a franchise on hold for 10 years with a story hanging can be rough on everyone involved. BioWare’s other IP,Mass Effect, released a spin-off to theMass Effect Trilogy,Mass Effect: Andromeda, in 2017. WhileMass Effect: Andromedawasn’t received very well upon release, its development was delegated to a studio that was later dismantled, while support forMass Effect: Andromedawas abandoned in favor ofAnthem’s development.
A teaser forMass Effect 4was released in 2020, just three years afterMass Effect: Andromeda’s release. This marks a consistent schedule of news and releases for theMass EffectIP.
Dragon Agehas not received the same treatment in terms of its releases. The last game of note to be released forDragon AgewasInquisition’sTrespasserexpansion, which was released in 2015.Dragon Age: Inquisition’s ending set up a sequel game, and there was one officially announced to be in development in 2015. However, thedevelopment ofDragon Age: Dreadwolfhas beenslow thanks to numerous interruptions and delays in development. It wasn’t until 2022 that its title was announced, a full eight years sinceDragon Age: Inquisition’s release.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf
WHERE TO PLAY
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is the fourth game in the franchise, serving as a direct sequel to the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition. Players will attempt to stop Solas from tearing down the Veil, among other possibly major plot points. Its events see players travel to Tevinter, the Anderfels, Rivain, and Antiva.
